North Kansas City, MO, Criminal Defense Lawyers With Payment Plans. If you’re facing an arrest or criminal charge, you might think things can’t possibly get worse. You’re facing challenges that nobody wants to go through. But for most people facing allegations, there’s an important question you have to ask before you start building your defense: How am I going to afford a defense attorney?
As scary of a question as it is, there is an answer: You can still hire a top-quality North Kansas City criminal defense lawyer to defend your case. At Combs Waterkotte, we can set up tailored payment plans so that you can get a group of the finest North Kansas City, MO, lawyers without losing all your money in legal fees. But while we are flexible with you on billing, we’re staunchly by your side in the courtroom – at Combs Waterkotte, you’re getting a results-driven, award-winning team of expert criminal defense attorneys.
Here, we’re outlining the potential advantages of a payment plan, but if you’re in an emergency and need to discuss options with an expert, call now at (314) 900-HELP or get in touch online – we offer free consultations on all cases, and can guide you from there.
On this page, we go over the price of hiring a criminal defense attorney in North Kansas City, how payment plans can help make your defense more affordable, ways we make our payment plans work for our clients, and more. You can jump to a specific point using the below links:
- What is the price of a a criminal defense attorney in North Kansas City, MO?
- Is it a good idea to use a public defender?
- Things that affect a case’s price
- Reasons to look for payment plans when hiring an attorney
- How our criminal defense payment plans work
- Case types we offer payment plans for
- Defensive strategies we could use for your case
- Hire a lawyer now with a payment plan that works for you
Now that we’ve outlined the basics, let’s look at why you should look to hire a North Kansas City, MO, defense attorney with a payment plan.
How Much Do Criminal Defense Lawyers Cost in North Kansas City?
It’s not possible to give a definitive answer on how much a case will cost without knowing all of the details, since each case is unique and provides different challenges. A case could cost anything from a couple of thousand dollars to as much as $25,000 for involved felony cases. MO lawyers, in particular, tend to cost slightly above average for the United States.
What About Public Defenders? Or Self-Representation?
Considering those costs, you might be thinking about looking for a public defender or representing yourself. But don’t move too fast – there are major downsides to either of those options. To get a public defender in North Kansas City, you first need to determine if you are even eligible.
Even if you are eligible, if you go with a public defender, you’re radically decreasing the chances of the state dropping the case against you. Public defenders also frequently push for plea deals, which leads to unfavorable results for you.
Tragically, even if you have a great public defender, it’s unlikely to help you – unfortunately, because of their lack of funding and colossal caseloads, they are in a spot where they can’t give clients’ cases the time they need.
Representing yourself will probably be even worse, though: Even if you’re only facing a traffic ticket, you need a lawyer to be on your side and watch out for pitfalls. One of our clients paid a ticket without speakign to a traffic lawyer, and she lost $6,000 in increased insurance costs.
What Factors Affect Criminal Case Costs?
Because every case is unique, the potential cost for a case can vary a lot: Many factors go into determining the price. Here are the key ones to keep in mind:
- Location: Defending alleged crimes in city courts typically costs more than in rural jurisdictions, due to the increased complexity of the legal system.
- Type of Charge: Felony allegations normally cost less than misdemeanor allegations. Some defenses are also more expensive if the specific allegations carry a social stigma, like rape or other sex crimes.
- Experience: Experienced, expert lawyers will typically charge more than their novice counterparts.
- Hourly vs Flat: While it depends on the case, flat feeds tend to be more transparent in terms of pricing. Hourly rates can look more affordable at first glance, but over time will add up.
- Unique Case Factors: If there’s something that makes a case more complex (for example, if it involves complicated computer use and requires the hiring of an expert analyst), that can increase the cost.
Can a Payment Plan Make a Difference?
Payment plans make a big difference in both your budget and your defense quality. By avoiding a massive upfront cost, more people can hire a lawyer without going bankrupt.
The best payment plans are tailored to you, so that your lawyer can adapt to your needs and find a way that works for you.
Most people go through life without thinking about the need to hire a defense attorney, and we get that. They’re not building a fund to account for the costs of a lawyer. Payment plans make a path for you to hire North Kansas City, MO’s leading criminal defense firm without the stress of coming up with the funds.
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How Combs Waterkotte’s Payment Plans Protect Your Wallet
At Combs Waterkotte, we want to give you a suburb defense, no matter who you are and what your bank account looks like. In order to do so, we handle our billing in a way to make it realistic and affordable for everyday people, facing anything from DWIs to murder charges.
Here’s how our payment plans can save you money:
- Low deposits – We can get started on either felony or misdemeanor cases without a massive retainer.
- Realistic bill structures – we’re reasonable and will work with your budget to find something fair and affordable.
- Multiple payment options – we take cash, credit, debit, checks, money orders, and more.
- Flat fees – know what you’re paying and what you’re getting for it up front.
Get a top criminal defense without breaking the bank. We build strong defenses, are available 24/7, and keep fighting until you get the justice you deserve.
Free book
How a Criminal Defense Attorney Can Protect Your Rights and Future
Combs Waterkotte has over 60 years of experience and over 10,000 cases handled. This ebook helps guide you through the criminal defense process and how an experienced, skilled defense attorney can keep your freedoms intact.
Criminal Defense Case Types We Offer Payment Plans For
At Combs Waterkotte, we take pride in defending a wide variety of criminal charges in MO and offer payment plans for each of them. Below are some of the popular allegations we defend people against:
Is your charge not one of the ones listed above? Look through the complete list of North Kansas City, MO, criminal charges we offer payment plans for, or get in touch today to talk about what we can do for your case.

Combs Waterkotte North Kansas City Criminal Defense Strategies
When you hire us, our objective is find the most positive outcome for your case, whatever it is. Whatever charge(s) you’re facing, we will construct a trial-ready, fearless defense that intimidates and impacts juries. We also leverage our connections with prosecutors and judges across MO to get charges dropped and obtain favorable plea deals.
Below are just a few of our many defense strategies we use against criminal charges in North Kansas City, MO:
- Alibi
- Self Defense/Defense of Others
- Lack of Intent
- Fourth Amendment Rights Violation
- Fifth Amendment Rights Violation
- Duress
- Necessity

Charged With a Crime in North Kansas City, MO? Low on Funds? Call Combs Waterkotte
We’re not here to pinch pennies or force you into debt – we’re here to protect your life and your future. Our team of leading North Kansas City, MO, criminal defense attorneys has has extensive experience working with clients just like you to defend cases just like yours.
At Combs Waterkotte, we see you as a person, not a another case or paycheck. We want to give your case the attention it deserves, no matter what it is or what your finances look like. Let us protect your freedom and your credit.
Get in touch online or call us at (314) 900-HELP now for a free evaluation fo your case, and to figure out payment plans that will work for you.

